We call this Holy Week. And what a week it was. From a triumphant entrance into the city, to a farewell dinner with dear friends, to the gruesome walk down the Via Della Rosa, to death and finally, to an empty tomb and a promise kept. I have always been simply amazed by the turn of events in such a short week. One week. A lot can happen in one week. For me, I think about the emotions of those around Jesus. On Sunday, they enter the city and are treated like royalty. They must have felt proud. Almost a rags to riches kind of story. A ragtag group of fisherman and tax-collectors, guys who were not exactly at the peak of the social scene, have finally “made it”. The man they have been following and learning from is now being treated like the king he said he was. And …
Tag: Destiny
Let me start with the moral of the story: Your past does not dictate your potential. In life, we are trained to believe that your accomplishments and your past define your worth. You almost always have to prove yourself before you are taken serious. I take comfort in the fact that we are in good company. Even Jesus had to overcome His past and in a viable sense, “prove” Himself. And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Phillip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1:46 NKJV) This statement was made by one who would become a disciple. Instantly, Nathanael judged the book by its cover. Ironic that the book he was judging was the King. Have you had that happen to you? I know I have experienced this. First impressions are key. It is said that people form their opinions within the first 30 seconds …
Spoiler alert, this is one of those posts where I am going to be both transparent and vulnerable. As I am always seeking to grow into the Man of God that I am called to be, I know that being open and honest with my thoughts and emotions are the key to victory. Father’s Day is one of those days that can open a Pandora’s box of emotions. Some good, some bad. It’s not even the day itself that does this, but rather the very mention of the word “father”. Whether you like to admit it or not, we all have a father. For some, we were blessed to have a father of integrity and character who loved us unconditionally. For others, the word father represents a gap in our lives. It represents a time of hurt. For some of us our dad’s are simply, in the words of James …
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30 NKJV) Those are three of the most powerful words ever spoken in the history of the World. “It is finished”. At the time, the disciples watched in horror as their teacher took His final breath on that fateful Friday. Everything they had been taught over the previous years was now being put to the test. Little did they know that this was just the beginning. Some followers fled, and some even denied ever knowing Jesus. To many of them, those final words meant exactly that – “it is finished”. What we had hoped for, dreamed of and desired are gone. Everything was shattered. But Jesus meant something completely different. Those three words were not a statement, but a proclamation. A deceleration of Freedom, Forgiveness, Grace and …
I am one of those people who is motivated by simple words of encouragement. Even in my employment, it is not the financial opportunities that drive me nearly as much as a simple acknowledgment of a job well done. The reality is, I think we are all in that same boat. Each and every day we seek acknowledgment and approval from those around us; strangers, co-workers, family and friends. We seek validation of our accomplishments, hopes and dreams. Some days, we receive it and some days not so much. The problem arrises when we rely only on what people say about us and we forget what God says – after all, it is His opinion that truly matters. So what does God say about you? He says you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), He says you “are the apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8), He says you are …
Before we jump in, it is important to note there have been 2 parts to our topic already posted last week. I encourage you to read them first if you have not done so: Part 1 and Part 2. Numbers 14 starts off in a very interesting way: 1So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” Wow. …
There always seems to be a million things going on in our lives. We are always being pulled in so many directions with so many distractions. It simply becomes hard to maintain focus. And worse yet, when we feel the call to take a step of action or step of faith, it seems that all logic and reason comes against our plan. Take a look at Ecclesiastes 11:4: He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. The Bible spends a lot of time discussing the idea of sowing and reaping. You definitely do not need to be a farmer to understand the analogy and the foundational truth that if you never plant anything, you will never receive anything. With that in mind, I think this verse speaks to the idea that there will always be an excuse of “why not” to …
I heard this song recently by Kari Jobe, and just had to find the video to post here. Such a great word in this song. Essentially, I will find you, God, in all things. In my last post, I discussed the “Even If mentality“, and this song seems to just sum it up so nicely. No matter what, I will find God when I surrender and listen to Him. Instead of writing, I am going to let the song speak for itself today: Question: What do you take from this song?
There are so many people in the Bible that take on what I call the “Even If” mentality. And it is those people that I want to model my life after. But there is one story in particular that really seems to sum it all up and it is the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel Chapter 3. These three young men took a stand against King Nebuchadnezzar who had recently decided to build an image of gold that he commanded everyone to worship. Just to put things in perspective a bit, that image was said to be 90 feet wide and 90 feet tall of gold (that is roughly a 9 story building). I would imagine this would be quite the impressive sight to see. It also says in Daniel 3 that when the music would play, everyone in the land would bow down to worship this idol …
There is something impressive about big buildings. The great feat of architecture and the amazing end result. It is fun to watch from the beginning when it is just bare dirt and then bit by bit, piece by piece, a great structure is formed. And then, to think about all the various jobs that are involved in making it all happen. Each person has their own task. Their craft or talent. Each one is needed to make the final product. There are some jobs in the process of constructing a building that I personally would rather not participate in. Some of those jobs are just downright hard. Only through sweat, blood and pain are some tasks completed. And then there are others that can’t be fun. Like plumbing for example – I am SO thankful for plumbers…but personally, I don’t know that I can stomach the smell. But each one …
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) This weekend, I caught a new insight into this whole “outward man is perishing” part…I saw my gray hair coming in…I know, silly, but you can ask my wife, this was a big deal for me! Just when I am finally coming to terms with whole hair-loss part of getting older, it is than topped off with new additions of gray. It …
